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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bore — to drill
  3. file — a document
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. scale — size or range
  10. charge — a price
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. fork — in a road
  14. charge — in control
  15. pass — a permit
  16. file — a tool
  17. pop — to visit
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bore — to tire
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — music
  24. scale — in music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com